You know what tomorrow is? April Fools’ Day (AFD). And as a lifelong prankster, I figured there was nobody better suited to an important and timely pre-AFD public service announcement about a slightly less celebrated but even more important holiday: World Backup Day!

Yes, it’s actually a thing…

No, I’m not threatening to scramble your data as an April Fools’ Day prank. My pranks tend toward the goofier, not geekier. Funny. Not mean.

But let’s face it. Our data is vulnerable. And for some of us that’s a whole lot of vulnerability. What would you lose if your digital systems crashed or got hacked? Not a fun consideration, right.

What is World Backup Day?

Today, March 31st, is World Backup Day, an “independent initiative to raise awareness about backups and data preservation”.

World Backup Day is a day for people to learn about the increasing role of data in our lives and the importance of regular backups. (World Backup Day)

Whether you tolerate the 21st century digital data inundation begrudgingly, love it enthusiastically, or shun it like a latter-day Luddite, it’s ignorant (and risky) to overlook the increasing dependence on digital data and the horrors that can result when this data is compromised.

World Backup Day is an annual reminder to be prudent about your data. Simple. Unless you ignore the reminder…

World Backup Day Pledge

Don’t let another year slip past without protecting your data. Start today by taking the World Backup Day Pledge:

“I solemnly swear to backup my important documents and precious memories on March 31st.” (World Backup Day)

If you’re still on the proverbial fence (and you can tolerate a digital damsel’s somewhat grating voice), check out the video presentation below. Thanks for indulging me in an Essex hyperlocal public service announcement! 🙂